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The Environmental Protection Department today (January 26) called on construction waste lorry drivers to co-operate with the department to ensure the smooth running of landfill sites.
A department spokesman said the Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme took effect on January 20.
Since the enactment of the legislation last year, the Government had been maintaining close liaison with the trade in setting out operational arrangements for the waste haulers to apply for accounts and to pay in advance.
He pointed out that dry runs involving the construction industry and the haulers had been carried out at government disposal facilities since July last year to allow the trade to familiarise itself with the operational details and to fine-tune the logistic arrangements.
As a result, most of those involved are familiar with these arrangements. Up to today (January 26), the landfills had received 2,004 lorry loads of waste with some construction waste content, while the fill banks and sorting facilities had received 10,860 lorry loads of waste which were wholly or predominantly construction waste. So far, more than 300,000 chits have been issued to account holders and were in smooth operation.
This morning, some 20 lorries blocked the operation of the sorting facilities and the Southeast New Territories Landfill (SENT) as they complained of operational problems causing delay in the transaction. This has caused long queues at the entrance.
Despite mediation by the Police, EPD and CEDD staff, the drivers insisted on blocking the operation at the weightbridge of the SENT and the sorting facilities. About 3pm, some lorries also blocked the entrance to the North East New Territories.
The spokesman said the implementation of the construction waste disposal charges was at its early stage and needed fine-tuning. While the departments involved promised to sort out the operational problems to reduce the time of transaction, which is now about 30 minutes, the lorry drivers should not take any action which would cause inconvenience to other users of landfill and sorting facilities. Otherwise the Police will clear all vehicles causing blockage.
He appealed to drivers that had taken part in the blockade action to co-operate with the Administration, to drive away the lorries so as not to affect other lorry drivers using the waste disposal facilities and to continue dialogue with the EPD.
Ends/Thursday, January 26, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:45
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